


as we are [EDITING]

by poise



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: '00 line most probably wont die, 00 line fic, 00 line vs world, 00z, Blood, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Gore, ITS NOT ALL DEATH!! 00 line crazy adventures !!, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung - Freeform, M/M, Mentioned Qian Kun, Mentioned Suh Youngho | Johnny, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Zombie Apocalypse, Violence, ZOMBIES !!, Zombies, might add cameos of other 00 liners from other groups, nct and wayv 00z, post apocalyptic, ships not determined, some tags are platonic some are not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-09-01 13:50:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20259121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poise/pseuds/poise
Summary: fighting off a growing epidemic during 5th period wasn't really on the agenda.





	1. the beginning

**Author's Note:**

> i might edit this but this is just like a little tease as a first chap i guess. all ships are platonic FOR NOW bc i might change it.

_Cold._

He feels it seep into his bones. 

The chattering of the classroom bounces off the walls, ringing in his ears. The only thing louder is the clock ticking.

Or at least it is to him.

The intercom buzzes and ruins Renjun's train of thought, stuttering the taping rhythm of his fingers. 

"Student's are to make their way to the multipurpose hall immediately in an orderly fashion." 

He tumbles in his seat when he hears bustling in the hallway, classroom doors being slammed open. He doesn't need to see to know it's Yangyang that gets to him first— grip so firm on his wrist, it's numbing. 

"What do you think's going on? Something's off. Where are all the teachers?" 

His voice wavers uncharacteristically. _Odd. _But Renjun wasn't given a chance to respond. 

They're swarmed by a sea of students pushing past each other in the hallway and Yangyang grips his hand tighter out of habit and Renjun squeezes his in response, hoping his drumming pulse would slow down. It's warm. 

The hall is _hot_. Student's pouring in, shoulder to shoulder. Frowns plastered bigger than ever across their faces, some masked by sunken eyes. It's suffocating and Renjun wishes he could go back into the classroom, missing the cold prickling against his skin.

From a distance he spots a familiar lock of auburn hair, red under the hall's florescent lights and sunlight beaming through the windows. Yangyang groans when Renjun tugs him forward along with him, shimmying past the narrow spaces to reach for the familiar boy. 

“Donghyuck.” He spins the boy around, meeting his frazzled gaze. He looks equally as distressed as everyone else, scowl creasing against his moles. It’s a weird look for him, Renjun thinks. For the past 2 years he’s been in the student council with him, he’s never seen Donghyuck this panicked. _Odd._

“What’s happening? None of the teachers are saying anything.” Donghyuck’s eyes scans through the space, taking a deep breath before landing back on Renjun.

“I don’t know either. I don’t think it’s a fire or else we wouldn’t be indoors but I keep hearing that this is a quarantine? That some student went rogue in class this morning but that’s just a rumor so I wouldn’t know.” He goes back to biting his dried lips, a habit Renjun's noticed. 

Renjun looks around this time, eyes locked on the sealed doors a few feet away from him. It's starting to get unsettling. He'd kill to sit back in his desk right now because whatever is making his stomach churn and skin crawl is not great. 

Until his answer comes sooner than expected. A scream. A _deafening_ scream. Now it's colder than it ever was before. Colder than the classroom. Colder than that one time he'd spent waiting outside to prank Yangyang on Christmas. Colder than he's ever been because the hall falls silent.

It only lasts for a mere split second before chaos ensues. He feels the panic rise inside of him as he gets swarmed by a group of students and shoved to the ground. Yangyang was quick to pull him back up and Renjun takes irregular deep breaths, feeling his hands tremble at the sudden rush.

“Are you okay?” Donghyuck asks beside him but Renjun doesn’t answer when his eyes land on something across the room. It’s someone he recognizes, or at least manages to despite the change in appearance. His classmate that sits right behind him in Biology, only now he looks different. Much, much different.

His skin was now painted a dull gray, flaking off the side of his face and hair tousled messily. Renjun tastes bile crawling up his throat as he watches him sink his teeth into a student on the floor of the auditorium, pulling his head back up and all Renjun could see was red. Red dripping down his lips to his jaw, red splattered across his uniform and red eyes staring back at him. 

Renjun's blood runs cold.

He doesn't need the pit in his stomach to tell him that something is clearly, _very_ wrong. Not missing a beat, he grabs both Donghyuck and Yangyang by the arm and throws himself towards the door.

They managed to get out despite the sea of students pushing past each other, ignoring the screams that seemed to get increasingly loud.

PYangyang doesn’t think twice, pulling Renjun towards the direction of the parking lot, mind working faster than his body could react. They _need_ to get out. He scans through the cars in the parking lot before eyeing a specific car at the corner. It’s brand new but Yangyang knew his way with cars and knew this one could be easily hotwired. Donghyuck seemed to have followed his gaze, tugging the other two towards it.

They stumble through the crowd and by the time they get to the car, Renjun turns around to see multiple students with blood stained uniforms, feral looks in their eyes that send chills down his spine.

“HEY MOVE IT!!” A deep voice booms from behind him and Renjun finds a familiar face hopping into the car, Yangyang quick to shove him aside.

“We were here first.” Yangyang works fast, pulling the wires out from the wheel, trembling hands struggling to hotwire it correctly.

“Well if you don’t do it right, we're ALL going to die.” Jaemin takes the wires from his hands, managing to get a spark as they hear the car start up.

“Everyone get IN” Renjun hops into the drivers seat, Yangyang in the passenger’s and Jaemin yanks the back door open, diving in. Donghyuck wastes no time, reaching for the door handle before being violently shoved against it with a groan. He turns around, seeing a boy on the ground with a bat in his hand, eyes widening as soon as he recognized him.

“Jeno??” The other looks up at him before instantly getting back on his feet, gripping on the bat so tight that his knuckles start to turn white as he swings it as hard as he could. Donghyuck flinches when he hears a loud **_THUD_**, seeing a body (or what’s left of it) fall to the ground. His eyes franticly turn back to Jeno for an explanation because _Holy shit? Did he just crack that kid’s head open?_ But the question gets stuck in his throat when he feels Jeno grabbing his arm, pulling the car door open before shoving him in, the taller following suit.

“DRIVE.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [cc](https://curiouscat.me/813na)   
[twt](https://mobile.twitter.com/rensfilms)


	2. soliloquy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chap word count: 3.6K words

Renjun lets out a frustrated sigh, hitting the breaks every 5 seconds to avoid the sea of vehicles flooding the main streets. He doesn't know where he's going, he just knows he cant stop, at least not anytime soon. He feels Jaemin bouncing his leg nervously against the back of his seat as his eyes fleet to the rear view mirror, burning holes into Donghyuck’s bloodstained blazer. The tension was thick, suffocating and Renjun swipes his tongue along his lips, feeling them dry up instantly.

He lets out a huff and allows himself to relax when he slips past an intersection and into a densely packed traffic jam, looking left and right to see nothing short of cars, cars and _even more cars._

The car they had borrowed (read: _stolen_) was filled by the pungent metallic smell of dried blood, smearing across Jeno’s bat and along his cheek.

The silence filling the car rings in Renjun’s ears as he notices how quiet Yangyang had become, letting his eyes linger to the other in the passenger seat to see him look out the window aimlessly. _10 years_. It’s been 10 years since Renjun’s been forced to befriend the loudly obnoxious next door neighbor he had back in China. 10 years since Yangyang had kicked his soccer ball into Renjun’s backyard, threatening him to give it back before climbing up the fence wall himself, fracturing his hand as he fell from the impact. It’s been 10 years since Renjun had known Yangyang and the only time he’s seen the latter this quiet was when the tickets to SHINEE’s concert had been sold out and he had locked himself in his room for days, deeming it _The Dark Age_. It was arguably the worst few days of Renjun’s life but even then Yangyang had came around, chattering nonstop a few hours later after Renjun had offered to take him out for hot pot.

This time it was different. The shadows casting against his face was much darker, grimmer. The kind of look Renjun would've never thought he’d see. He takes a sharp intake of breath, biting his lips as he focuses his eyes back on the road, the silence doesn’t die down, an endless loop in his mind and Renjun thinks, _it’s a little too loud._

He gets haphazardly pulled back into reality when Donghyuck clears his throat from the back seat, throat scratchy with bile and the sick feeling pooling in his stomach.

“What were those things?” A silence more deafening than the first follows as Renjun’s eyes fleet back to the rear view mirror to catch the auburn’s sullen face, staring blankly at his hands as if he was asking himself.

“Rogues. It had to be some kind of disease. Large quantities of people don’t just go crazy…Maybe it’s in the air.” Jaemin speaks up for the first time after a beat of silence and Renjun lets his mind wonder back to the image of his classmate sinking their teeth into another student, eyes void from any form of remorse.

Yangyang tears his gaze off from the window, hand reaching towards the radio knob to go through the channels before a crackle rips through the speakers, finally setting with a somewhat clear voice.

_“…This is a government report. Specialists are yet to identify the new formed bacterium resulting in the rapid spread of the disease as most victims have shown signs of aggression without hesitation. It is advised that the public is to remain indoors **at all times** until further notified by the government. The virus has been found to be transferred through blood transfusions and saliva therefore it is advised to be highly precautious around infecteds and to not engage them in any form. They are **not** humans. Signs and symptoms of an infected include; aggressive behavior, excessive sweating accompanied by various colds and loss of memory. All international transportation networks are currently shut down to prevent the growing epidemic. People at hand are currently working towards a vaccine in hopes to stop...”_

The radio buzzes further on after that but Renjun stops listening, the words jumbling together like white noise in a lullaby. His heart sinks further than he could ever sink in his seat as he thinks of China, his family in particular. How would they react to this? Do they even know he’s alive? Deciding to move in with Yangyang and his brother all the way to Korea didn’t seem like the best idea back then. But his parents had just died and Yangyang’s family had took him in like one of their own. So naturally where Yangyang goes, Renjun follows suit and vice versa.

He feels a hand enclasped on his knee and turns his head to meet the sight of the younger staring back at him, a small smile playing at his lips despite their series of unfortunate events. Renjun pulls his lips in a tight smile, knowing Yangyang could see right through him but he focuses on the road ahead, taking deep breaths to calm down.

It’s quiet for a little bit after that, nothing but the sound of cars moving barely centimeters forward before a screech rips through the crowd, the hand on Renjun’s knee squeezing tighter as the shorter feels his own muscles tense under the touch.

“…You guys heard that too right?” It’s Jeno that speaks up this time, finally making his presence known after glueing to the back seat the whole time.

Jaemin already has his guard up, eyes flying left and right in search of the source and feeling uncomfortable when being met with silence. It only lasts a mere second before a scream rips through the crowd again, this time twice as loud as before as Donghyuck feels the hairs on his neck stand at the pitch. He spots a few cars down from them backing up fast despite the small space, causing it to bump harshly into other cars to create a domino effect and when Yangyang’s back hit’s against his own seat is when he speaks up.

“What the hell is going on?” The question was rendered fruitless as all 5 pair of eyes go flying towards the windows when they see people running frantically between the lines of cars, some stopping to pound their fists against the thin glass of their car window.

They felt paralyzed, staring at the windows to try to decipher the panicked looks between the flock of people running their way before they heard a particularly loud thud against Jeno’s side of the window. It was a person, more or less, fighting another person, bodies squished between their car window and the car on other side of the lane. It doesn't go unnoticed as Jeno takes a closer look until he see’s it. A blue vein protruding out from the mark, a bite mark, trailing down along their body. The two strangers fight along the side of the car, going down towards the other cars in front of them and Donghyuck wastes no time, snapping his attention to the driver’s seat.

“Renjun, take a left. Something’s going on, we need to leave.” The car that had originally been blocking a road to their left had gone as fast as it had waited in line.

Renjun backs up a little and turns the wheel like his life depended on it, _as it did_. He lets out a frustrated sigh when the hood bumps against another car.

“I cant move it. Theres not enough space for me to back up.” Jaemin bites his lips, eyes snapping to the car behind them, finding the driver’s seat empty without a trace.

He doesn’t think twice, pushing the car door open and ignores the frantic stares.

“We need to push this car back or else we aren’t going to get out of here anytime soon.” He motions his head towards the empty car behind then as Jeno pushes his side of the door open a second later, followed by Donghyuck.

Renjun grips tighter on the wheel despite his sweaty hands, trying hard not to focus on the distant screams and the fact that half of everyone in the car was outside by now. Yangyang stayed rooted to his seat but Renjun’s eyes doesn’t miss the way his hands shake against the car window, trying to look out for any other infected. Through the side mirrors—he see’s the 3 push the car behind them just enough for Renjun to back up and drive, and an ugly thought makes it’s way to his mind, molding itself onto his brain.

“Jun, what if we just drove off right now? We’d be safe. We don’t know what’s happening and we cant risk being with a group of people.” It’s the first time Yangyang speaks up and Renjun’s stomach sinks because _was that why he was so quiet the whole time?_

Renjun feels his head spin with too much adrenaline and too many thoughts.  
“And what? Leave 3 innocent people here to die? I’m not gonna have that on my conscience or yours. And Donghyuck’s my friend, I’m not leaving anyone out here to get killed by those things. I’m gonna assume the only reason you brought this up is because you’re scared shitless and cant think straight, or else you're being a real asshole right now.” The older quiets down when he hears the trio walk back into the car, stepping on the gas and making a 180 degree turn.

Yangyang goes back to being quiet, curling his fingers into his palm as he stares out to the cul de sac they’re driving into. It’s a habit Yangyang picked up that Renjun had grown accustomed to, watching him dig his fingernails into his palm or tapping his feet against the ground when he’s nervous.

Renjun drags his attention back to the road, eyeing the quaint houses they’re passing by, feeling somewhat familiar to the road. It takes a bit before it comes back to him… this was Donghyuck’s neighborhood. And seeing how Jeno was Donghyuck’s next door neighbor, it meant it was Jeno’s too.

Renjun’s been to Donghyuck’s house a couple of times for a meeting and some group projects, knows that if he drives just a bit more down the road he’d see the apartment complex he, Yangyang and Yangyang’s brother, Kun, lived.

The neighborhood was silent. A huge contrast to when Donghyuck would come home from school and see the neighborhood be filled with children running home and cars filling the driveways. Now it seemed like you could hear a pin drop a mile away. It was quiet. _Dead_.

He could feel Jeno tensing up beside him, clearly sharing the same dreaded feeling in his chest.

Renjun decides to pull up in Donghyuck’s driveway, turning off the engine and now it was completely quiet. The shorter knows not to press on the subject, letting the silence linger a little longer as the 5 stay rooted in their seats in the car.

Again it was Jaemin who spoke up first, urgency and venom lacing his tone when he’d realize they were too exposed out in the open.

“Are we gonna get down or are we gonna waste time wallowing in this junk and get ourselves killed?”

Donghyuck scoots out when Jeno pulls the door open, stumbling out a little. Theres a flash of hesitation in Jeno’s face before mumbling that he’d be back in a few minutes, walking towards his house next door.

Donghyuck takes a deep breath, biting down his tongue. He knew Johnny didn’t have work today and that he’d be staying home all day. So when Donghyuck had spotted his house a mile away with the driveway empty, he knew something was wrong. His brother wouldn’t have just _left_. He feels his hands go numb at the thought of the older going back to find him at school only to be met with the infected raiding the area.

Renjun sends him a reassuring smile, confirming that he’d be right outside if Donghyuck needed anything as he cautiously walked into the house.

Renjun fidgets with the car keys, flinching when Jaemin clears his throat from the back seat—completely forgetting the taller was there in the first place. The shorter lets out an awkward cough, looking out the window to stare at the little ant colony that's managed to make its home on Donghyuck’s driveway.

“Do you want me to drive you home? You don't have to stick with us if you don’t want to.” It comes off a little harsher than Renjun thought it sounded in his head, eyeing Jaemin’s expression through the rear view mirror.

“No, pretty sure my adoptive parents would've bolted by now. It would just waste time.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

He wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for but Renjun’s had the courtesy of showing Jaemin around school when he first transferred barely a month ago. The taller was quiet, reserved and didn’t really talk to anyone in fact. And when Renjun peeked at his school file, it was filled with multiple school names, making it seem like he’d transfer every few months. Renjun knew better than to pry though, thinking his parents must’ve just moved a lot.

“It’s fine. I’ve only known them for a month. They’re good people but I doubt they’d wait for me. I’ll just stick around and try not to die for now.”

Renjun’s eyes fleet over to Yangyang in the passenger seat who’d seemingly fallen asleep in the midst of their conversation.

“I’m gonna go through some houses to see if I can find something useful. I’ll be back in 5.” Jaemin pops the car door open, walking down the street until he’s completely out of Renjun’s line of sight.

It’s quiet now again. Not eerie but _lonely_. Renjun slumps against his chair, letting his head fall against the headrest as he closes his eyes and takes in a sharp breath, trying to digest all the things they’ve been through for the past few hours. The image of his classmate sinking their teeth into someone else imprints itself on his mind, taunting him and Renjun dreads closing his eyes, the image coming back twice as clearer and hauntingly as before.

“I’m sorry.”

Renjun hums as a response, waiting for him to continue.

“I was scared—I just wanted us to be okay. I don't know what I’d do if I let you die on my watch.” Yangyang picks at a scab on his hand, a habit.

“I know. But we need to think rationally. We aren’t the only ones going through this. I know they're just as scared as we are but Yang, I’m always gonna be right here. And you’re always gonna be with me. We’ll look after each other because that's what we do right?”

Yangyang presses his lips together in a thin line, nodding before leaning his head back against the car window to flash a small smile Renjun’s way.

“Right.”

The pair tenses up when car door abruptly opens before relaxing when a distressed Donghyuck scoots his way in. Renjun lifts an eyebrow his way and Donghyuck sighs, looking at the small paper crumpled between his fingers.

_“Donghyuck, im so sorry i left without you but i know that if you were okay, you’d come back home to find me. the neighborhood was one of the first places to get hit by the virus and at the time there was just so many of them so i didn’t know what else to do. im currently hopped up on a car with some people from the neighborhood and we’re on our way to the coast at higher ground. don't use the main roads and go through the ones on the hills. we’ll be there in a weeks time. i’ll be waiting for you. **please be okay and stay safe**. – Johnny_” Donghyuck reads the note out loud, hands slightly shaking before Renjun reaches out to put a hand over his.

“How the fuck am I supposed to find him with all these infected going around?? Aren’t we supposed to stay inside anyways?” The note gets crumpled even more in his hands before he shoves them into his school pants.

“Hey calm down. Look, at least you know he’s alive right? And you know where he’s going. We wouldn’t be safe staying inside anyways if they’re as aggressive as they were back in school. We’ll find him.” Donghyuck regulates his breathing before looking back at Renjun, nodding as he fidgets with his fingers.

The silence stills before they hear something break and a grueling screech filling the air. _Jeno_. The trio wastes no time bolting towards his house, seeing Jaemin run towards it as well.

It doesn’t take long for them to spot him after pushing the front door wide open, bursting in.

Jeno was staring ahead, bits and pieces of a vase decorated the floor followed by dirt and flower petals. The house was fairly messed up. The carpet was pushed aside, cushions on the floor and more dirt trails stamped across the wood floor. But that wasn’t what caught their attention. It was what was standing on the other side of the see-through door, clawing its way to get out.

Donghyuck had recognized it as Jeno’s brother, or whats left of him at least, after greeting him in the driveway one too many times. Now he just looks dead. His skin was peeling off, tidy jet black hair that covered his eyes was now disheveled, slightly covered in blood and dirt. He had somehow locked himself into the small room with the glass door right as he got infected, the bruising bite mark on his forearm makes it hard to ignore.

Donghyuck eyes shoot towards Jeno, slightly tensing when he sees the crazy look in the other’s eyes as he stepped closer to the door.

“Doyoung hyung…” His voice was shaky but Donghyuck was one step ahead of him, grabbing his forearm and twisting his head to look at him.

“Jeno, hey look at me. Don't do anything you're going to regret okay? He's infected. There's nothing we can do for him right now.” Jeno’s pupils shook as his eyes, brimming with tears, frantically scans over Donghyuck's features.

That was when it dawned on Jaemin why Donghyuck was so quick on his feet. His eyes flew to the lock on the glass door, separating Jeno’s brother and them. _It was unlocked._

He breaks a sweat eyeing the infected intently, waiting for it to slide the door and pounce them anytime. Everything stills for what feels like forever, everyone hyper aware of every muscle move Jeno makes. Yangyang lets out a breath he doesn’t notice he’s been holding when Jeno finally drags his feet out the door.

The rest of the ride was painfully silent again. Jaemin busying himself by fidgeting with a Swiss army knife he’d found in one of the houses.

The realization of the situation felt like everything and nothing at the same time. They were _fucked_. Alone. Barely young adults left to die. Jaemin grips tighter and sees white.

When Renjun finally pulls up again, its at his and Yangyang’s apartment complex. Yangyang was practically bouncing in his seat, not really sure what he wanted to find back in the apartment. Was Kun even _alive_? Does he even know if _they_ were alive?

All thoughts die in his throat when he sees Kun’s car parked at the end of the parking lot. His heart drops to his stomach and he doesn’t think twice, bolting towards the front office before Renjun could even have a chance to protest.

He yanks the big wooden door open but stops midway when he catches a glance of whats inside. About a dozen infected are sprawled across the main entrance leading to the elevators. Yangyang gasps feeling a hand slip across his mouth, pulling him backwards onto the ground.

“Are you fucking insane?? You could've gotten yourself killed.” Renjun yells in a whisper when they get back up from the ground.

“Kun’s dead. Renjun, Kun’s _dead_.” Yangyang feels his lips tremble at the statement, images of Jeno’s decaying brother in his own house makes its way to his mind and he thinks about projectile vomiting for a second.

“You don't know that.”

“This place is crawling with infected. You’re telling me he’s still alive?” Renjun has a hard look in his eyes—refusing to believe it. Refuses to believe someone that’s taken care of him and has treated him nothing less like his own brother is just… gone.

“Well what if—“

“Renjun!” The pair turn around to see Jaemin waving towards Kun’s car from the parking lot.

  
“I think theres a note in there.” Donghyuck points towards a little yellow sticky note, neatly placed on the steering wheel of Kun’s 1968 Toyota Hilux.

The window was slightly rolled down and Renjun's hand was small enough to slip through the cracks, reaching for the sticky note that had Chinese scribbles on it. Yangyang jolts to his side, eyes scanning through the little note.

“He’s going to the coast. Hopped up on a car with some people.” Renjun feels relief wash over him like a wave, a smile tugging itself on the corner of his lips. Kun was _okay_.

“He might be with Johnny, they could be on the same car. We can find them.” Donghyuck sounds hopeful and it sparks a glimmer of hope Renjun’s just so afraid to let go. It’s a start. Its _somewhere_.

When they get back on the road, the silence isn't as suffocating as before. Its an unspoken layer of hope no one dared to acknowledge. Too afraid it would break right before their eyes. Jaemin cuts his finger while fidgeting with the knife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hihii if u follow me on twitter, you'd know that im currently on hiatus til mid november! im just posting this since i forgot i already finished it but i wont be updating til nov so!! enjoy
> 
> [cc](https://curiouscat.me/813na)   
[twt](https://mobile.twitter.com/rensfilms)


	3. kenopsia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kenopsia; the eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that is usually bustling with people but is now abandoned and quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2.2K words

Jeno feels the warm sand enveloping his toes beneath his feet as he takes in a deep breath, breathing in the salty breeze raking through his hair. It was a particularly sunny day, the sunlight bouncing beautifully off the water. It wasn’t a hot kind of sunny though. More comforting—like a warm blanket.

He remembered this day as clear as ever because Doyoung had drove them all the way out to the beach for some _brotherly bonding_. Jeno doesn’t have half the heart to tell him that he was only excited because there were egg sandwiches. But it ended up being one of his most memorable memories. They stayed with their toes in the sand, talked about school, work, everything until the sun had set along the horizon, dripping liquid gold.

Though as clearly as he remembers the day, the memory looks a little glossed over now. The sun stills along the waters, the waves crash silently and the birds aren't chirping like it did that day. It feels unsettling, how picture perfect it looks. Like if he could just reach out and touch it, it would melt and break apart at the seams.

“Jeno.” He jolts at the sudden voice, head snapping to his right to see figure sitting beside him.

He feels the muscles around his cheeks tense up with how hard he’s smiling, eyes a little misty with all the pent up emotions.

“Hyung,” Doyoung mirrors with a blinding smile of his own, pearly whites shining proudly.

“Hey buddy,”

Jeno doesn’t hesitate, wrapping his arms around his brother, feeling his hands shake with too much adrenaline and comfort from the familiar scent.

“God, you looked like shit back there,” He breaths out when they pull apart and when Doyoung lets out a laugh, Jeno feels the sun’s glow a little warmer against his skin now.

“Thanks kid.”

When Jeno stares back ahead, the sun isn’t still anymore—it’s setting, just slower. The waves crash louder now and the birds chirp annoyingly loud again, just like how he’d remembered it. The warmth against his skin feels _so good_, maybe even better than it was that day.

“This was one of my favorite days. Do you remember?” Doyoung has a hint excitement in his voice and Jeno tries not to smile harder, nodding his head.

“You pushed me in the water that day and I went home drenched.”

Doyoung erupts in a fit of giggles beside him as Jeno recalls letting out a string of curses when he walked back to the sandy beach, shirt stuck to his body as sand covers both his feet.

“Well, you got my car seat soaked and filled with sand so I guess we were even.” Jeno chortles, turning his head back towards the ocean as they fall back into a comfortable silence.

Everything feels like its moving in slow motion. The sun setting along the ocean, the clouds drifting in the sky, the little crab making its way across the beach and Jeno’s heartbeat, threatening to stop.

“I’m sorry I couldn't save you,” his voice wavers a little at the end.

“Jeno, there wasn't anything you could've done.”

“There was. I could’ve came earlier or drove faster and you would still be okay.” Jeno tries his hardest to keep a stable voice but every word feels heavier each time he speaks and his throat dries up, feeling like it’d been scratched against sandpaper.

“You couldn't have known. None of this is your fault. I’m just sorry I can’t be here anymore to take care of you. But you’re an adult now, I trust you to keep yourself safe.” The salty breeze feels almost suffocating now. Jeno grips onto the warm sand underneath him.

“Hyung, I can't do this by myself. I don't know what I’m doing. I need you.” He feels close to tears now, the glow of the sun shining against his eyes makes it look like tiny crystals bouncing off the scenery.

“Jeno, you're not alone. You're stronger than you think and those kids you're with? They’ll help you. You just need to trust yourself a little more. I’ve seen you grow up your whole life and I don’t know anyone stronger. I know you’ll be able get through this.” Doyoung looks straight into him and Jeno tastes the salty air in his mouth, settling uncomfortably.

“Theres still so many things I wanna talk to you about.”

“I know. And I’ll be happy to hear them. One day. But you need to take care of yourself now. I’ll see you real soon kid.”

The scenery gets a little more faded and glossier. It looks like an oil painting now, like the one of the sunset along the beach, hung above the couch in their living room.

When Jeno turns back to look beside him it isn't the Doyoung he talked to a few seconds ago. His skin was gray, peeling at the slightest touch. His dark hair is greasy and the salty breeze doesn't make it better. His eyes were empty, big black pupils staring back at him, completely voided of any sort of emotions except how vigorously they shook in his sockets.

Jeno doesn't get a second to bolt before he gets pinned to the ground, nails digging at the side of his shoulders before hearing a loud thud at the back of his mind.

Jeno wakes up gasping for air, briefly startling Donghyuck who was seated beside him.

“_Shit_.” Renjun curses from the front seat, eyeing the mirror at the side before sighing loudly.

“Please don't tell me its what I think it is.” Donghyuck grumbles after sending Jeno a look, watching him nod back after catching his breath.

“Yeah. Tire’s flat.”

“We should get out. We just passed a crowd of infecteds back there, it wouldn’t take them long to get here. Theres a gas station just down the block, we can find a new car there that hopefully has a radio and maybe even some food. Keep your eyes out.” Jaemin’s already pushing his side of the door open, Renjun and Yangyang following suit.

“Hey, you okay back there?” Donghyuck kicks a pebble along the sidewalk, watching it bounce onto the main road. He walked slower to keep up with Jeno’s pace as the other three walked ahead, senses on high alert.

“Yeah. Just had a dream. How long was I out for?” Jeno bites his lips, sinking deeper into his blazer to hide from the cold breeze.

“Just half an hour.”

“Any news?”

“Yeah, cell towers are down and we can't get any service so we basically have no idea whats going on outside. They also made another report about the virus.” Jeno cocks his eyebrow and Donghyuck pulls his attention away from the cracks in the sidewalk to look back at him.

“They say it’s the fastest growing virus they've seen yet. And that a few facilities got run over and now its a widespread disease—so it’ll take longer for them to come up with a cure or vaccine. So basically we’re fucked.” Donghyuck lets out another breathy laugh at the end, kicking another pebble off the sidewalk.

Jeno grips the sleeves of his blazer tighter, pulling on it hard enough in hopes that it would somehow sew itself onto his skin. _Keep yourself safe_.

“I think this ones okay.” Jaemin adjusts the radio transmitter, slightly dusting it off with his hands. “We could use this to contact higher authorities if we get a chance.” He slides out the pick-up truck, quiet enough to make sure they don't draw any unwanted attention.

“God, this place looks like a ghost town. I’m surprised there aren't any infecteds walking around.” Renjun squints his eyes, eyeing the swarm of empty cars around the gas station, the broken windows and glass littered along the ground.

“I think this part of town was the first to get hit. Most of them are probably on the outskirts by now.” Yangyang fidgets with his fingers, eyes snapping back and forth between them and the empty street.

“Did we past by any people? The uninfected ones?” Jeno still has his nails buried deep into the fabric of his sleeves.

“Just a few. But they sped past us before we could even ask them for anything.” Jaemin pulls out a crowbar from the backseat of the truck, lifting it between his hands.

Donghyuck feels himself tense up after every rustle of a bush and every breath. They were _too_ exposed. The sun was still up but he could tell it was going to set soon, orange flames casting a shadow on the shops along the streets.

Jaemin must've noticed as well by now, slowly eyeing a store opposite of the gas station.

“We should get what we need and find a place to stay for the night. Could you guys pull the truck up by the back of that store? Just in case something happens, it’ll be the quickest exit. Yang, Jaemin and me could get some stuff inside. In and out, it’d be quick.” Renjun huffs out and Donghyuck's already situated himself behind the wheel, Jeno sitting beside him as Jaemin nods in the direction of the entrance.

Yangyang walks cautiously, cringing at the way the charred pieces of glass breaks and crackles under his heel as he’s quick to follow Jaemin’s lead into the store.

The silence is unnerving and Renjun’s come to terms that it might be the most unbearable thing about the whole situation. If the same silence had accompanied him yesterday, he would've kicked back, relaxed and slept through it with his headphones in. But that was _yesterday_. And yesterday wasn’t filled with decaying bodies, rabid attacks, the dead and the undead littering the streets.

It was something they had silently agreed not to tell Jeno, afraid the inner turmoil of his brother’s death would consume him if he knew what they had to drive through to get here.

  
“We should get food, water, some clothes and maybe grab something sharp while you’re at it.” Jaemin’s voice screams uncertainty as he walks slowly past the broken sliding door.

The place looked like it had went to hell and back. There was sticky liquids smeared across the tiles, shelves were turned over and supplies scattered across the whole store.

“Looks like some people were eager to get here before we did.” Renjun eyes a particular patch of red liquid on the ground, smearing a long line down one of the isles, feeling a shiver run down his spine.

“There’s a camping supply isle on this side. I’ll go get some clothes and a few bags if I can. You guys should get the food and water. I’ll meet you back on the canned food isle.” Yangyang says, nodding towards a few isles down from where they were standing.

“Try not to be loud, it’s a big store and we don’t know what else is in here. If you’re not back in 10 minutes, we’ll go looking for you.” Renjun waits for Jaemin to start walking towards the food isle before grabbing Yangyang by the elbow just as he’s about to walk away.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you instead?” Renjun bites his lips, a queasy feeling settles uncomfortably in his stomach.

“Jun, it’s just a few isles down. I’m pretty sure I can manage.” Yangyang lets out a breathy laugh despite feeling his hands shake a little at the thought as he wriggles his arm out of the shorter’s grip. Renjun sends him a look before walking down the food isle, nails digging into his palm.

In Renjun’s opinion, canned food has always tasted bad. _Canned fruits_? devil’s dessert. They taste stale and downright sad. But right now he doesn’t seem to care as Jaemin digs his Swiss Army knife into the cold metal lid, cutting it right off and grabbing a lychee, popping it in his mouth. He hands it over to Renjun, picking out other cans and none perishable food from the shelves and stacking it beside him.

“Look I know you’re worried about your friend Yangyang and all but he’s old enough to take care of himself, he’s just a few isles down. It’ll be fine.”

Renjun hums as response, swirling a lychee around in the can and feeling the sweet taste dry down his throat.

“Yeah well, him and his brother are basically the closest thing I have to family here. If I lose them then I’d have no one.” He walks further down the isle to grab a few granola bars, shoving them in his jacket.

“You’d still have yourself. It’s all you really need at the end of the day.”

Renjun bites his tongue to stop himself from arguing when he feels the mood shift. It wasn’t his place to cross any boundaries or made up lines. They barely knew each other.

The silence after it drags even longer as Renjun picks up large bottles of water, turning his back against Jaemin and the shelves to stack it next to the cans they’ve collected. He jolts when he feels the tallers hand clasp around his forearm, squeezing it tightly before he could even turn around.

Renjun hears it before he sees it, the sound of a gun cocking as it catches his line of sight, pointing directly at them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!! leave some kudos or comments !!  
[cc](https://curiouscat.me/813na)  
[twt](https://mobile.twitter.com/rensfilms)

**Author's Note:**

> my au acc on twt is @rensfilms !! i hv other fics too 🥺


End file.
